SHORT TRIPS lasting about 30 minutes run from Melbourne Arm on Sundays and Bank Holidays from the start of April until the end of October. Trips start at 12 noon and the last trip is around 4.15 pm.
No booking is required.

The maximum number of passengers we are insured to carry is 12 at a time (including children), but we can run lots of short trips on a Sunday. There is no timetable.

Older children can take turns at steering the boat, under supervision of course. It's easy - just push the tiller to the left and the boat goes to the right! Adults can have a go too, but children take priority on short trips.

We will carry up to two dogs on short trips, provided that no-one already on the boat objects.

How much does it cost? We do not charge for short trips but donations are welcome. These help pay the insurance, licence, crew training and other costs of running our trip boat. Our crew are not paid, and profits support maintenance and restoration of the canal.

GROUP TRIPS (2 - 7 hours) can be arranged for parties of up to twelve passengers (including children). We will provide tea and coffee during the trip. These longer trips can be arranged for Saturdays, weekdays and early evenings during the summer months. The boat can not be booked for Sundays or Bank Holidays, when it is used for short trips.

Our most popular trip is to Gardham Lock, where you could have a picnic at Gardham Lock, either on or off the boat. PCAS volunteers have installed picnic tables at this lock. There are various other options, depending on how long you would like to spend on the canal. For example, your party could explore the full navigable length of the canal, from Melbourne Arm to East Cottingwith. – see map

Every year, we have groups celebrating birthdays with a trip on New Horizons and you are welcome to decorate the boat with balloons etc. There are family events, office outings and many other reasons for booking a boat trip. Or you might be interested in having a meal at the Melbourne Arms (close to the trip boat) or one of the other local pubs at the end of your trip. Everyone is welcome to have a go at steering.
How much does it cost? PCAS is a charity and we welcome donations towards our work and running of the boat, but we have no fixed charges. Our Bookings Manager will give you an indication of how much we have received from other groups for a similar trip.

Contact our Bookings Manager, Bob Ellis, if you would like more information or to make a booking. Please book early because it takes time to arrange a crew for your trip.

Please don't text as they are not monitored and will not be responded to.

OPEN TRIPS
These 'open trips' to Gardham Lock are for individuals and small groups. These trips take approximately 3 hours and are on Saturdays to help accommodate those who are working during the week. During the 2017 season, our open trips will be on the following dates:
Saturday 13 May, 11amSaturday 24 June, 4pm
Saturday 29 July, 11am
Saturday 9 September, 2pm
Saturday 14 October, 10.30am

Everyone is welcome to steer the boat – and that includes children. The timings are approximate and include time for a stop for a snack or to stretch your legs. As with group trips, you are welcome to bring a picnic to eat on or off the boat. We will provide tea and coffee. Please contact the Booking Manager to book places.

How much does it cost? We are grateful for donations and have no fixed charges. Our Bookings Manager will give you an idea of typical donations we receive for open trips.

Please book early and remember that we we cannot carry more than 12 passengers.

Further information
1. We do not take bookings for Sundays or Bank Holidays because these days are reserved for short trips.

2. We do not offer boat hire, since our insurance covers only crewed boat trips.

3. We are not a commercial service and may have to cancel a trip if one of our volunteer crew is unavailable (because of illness or other good reason), mechanical failure, very poor weather conditions, flooding, or any reason that would make it difficult to operate the boat safely. This does not happen very often.

4. Each skipper has had appropriate training, such as an NCBA Certificate in Community Boat Management and our trip boat has a current Canal & River Trust licence and a Boat Safety Certificate. Copies of these and other relevant documents are kept on board and you are very welcome to inspect them. We can supply details of insurance etc in advance if your organisation needs this, for example if you are planning an outing for Brownies or a school party.

5. Our licence and insurance do not allow us to carry more than 12 passengers. Larger groups can be accommodated by running two consecutive trips or having some passengers walking and some on the boat, swapping over during the journey. Our Bookings Manager will be happy to discuss the possibilities.

Find the Melbourne Arms pub in Melbourne.Typing YO42 4QJ into your SatNav will take you there and the OS Grid Reference is SE 752 443. There are maps of the canal on this website.

Please park considerately in the village and walk down the lane beside the pub. On Sunday afternoons and Bank Holidays the boat may be moored alongside the footpath or away on a trip. If it is on a trip it will be back soon. Walk a bit further and you will probably find a member of the boat crew waiting to open the swing-bridge for the boat.

If you have booked a trip, the boat should be moored alongside the footpath when you arrive.

If New Horizons is moored on the far side of the basin it means that boat trips are not running or you have arrived early. Normally we start at noon and the last trip is around 4.15. Please remember that we only run short trips on Sunday and Bank Holiday afternoons and that all other trips must be booked in advance.